Grace Countie Leads Quick Final Morning of 2017 NCSA Junior Nationals

The final morning of the 2017 NCSA Junior National Championships began with the women’s and men’s 50 backstroke. On the women’s side, Carly Quast of the Aquajets had the fastest time of the morning, finishing in 25.16. Elmbrook’s Ashlyn Schoof finished second in 25.31. She just out touched Grace Countie of the Marlins of Ralegih, who was third in 25.32.

Tyler Sesvold of St. Charles led the men’s 50 back. He swam to a time of 22.25. Sesvold was just ahead of Cincinnati Marlins’s Luke Sobolewski, who was second in 22.27. Academy Bullets’s Spencer Walker came in third in 22.58.

The top three swimmers in the women’s 200 IM all dipped under the two minute mark. Margaret Aroesty of Long Island led the trio, finishing first in 1:59.37. CSP Tideriders’s Genevieve Pfeifer came in close behind in 1:59.50. Julia Poole of the Marlins of Raleigh was third in 1:59.52.

Penn Charter’s Reece Whitley held on to his top seed in the men’s 200 IM. Finishing in 1:48.71, he edged out Dayton Raiders’s Eric Knowles for the top spot in the final. Knowles touched second in 1:48.86. Third place went to Nation’s Capital’s Will Cumberland, who swam to a time of 1:49.27.

After a top three finish in the 50 backstroke, the Marlins’s of Raleigh’s Grace Countie turned around to put up the top time in the women’s 50 freestyle. She touched in 22.56 to lead the morning. Katelyn Mack of Nation’s Capital came in second place in 22.75. Just behind her in third was Greater Tampa’s Morgan Tankersley.

In the men’s 50 freestyle, Thomas Hallock of Machine earned the top spot in tonight’s final, swimming to a time of 20.25. He was followed by Nation’s Capital’s Brandon Hamblin, who took second in 20.57. Colson Moore of South Eastern Virginia placed third in 20.59.